# Karena Lam

Karena Lam (Chinese: 林嘉欣; pinyin: Lín Jiāxīn; Jyutping: Lam4 Gaa1 Jan1; Cantonese Yale: Làm Gāyān; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lîm Ka-him; born 17 August 1978) is a Taiwanese Canadian actress and singer based in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
In October 1995, Lam released her debut album Karena (有點想). In 2015, she won the Best Actress award at the Golden Horse Awards for her role in Zinnia Flower, making her the first person to have won all of the following three Golden Horse awards: Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best New Performer.

## Early life and career

Lam was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, to a father from Hong Kong and a Taiwanese-Japanese mother.
Lam is a Hong Kong–based actress and winner of three Golden Horse Awards. Lam's first film was Sing Kei Lok Yeuk Kui (Saturday Appointment), a 1996 Adult Thriller film directed by Sam Ho Shu-Pui.
Lam is also an artist, curator and ambassador of Le French May. As the curator of Le French May 2017 "Celebration of the Arts", she handpicked a selection of iconic French movies for this cinema programme. Exhibitions she curated include Inoue Yuichi Solo Exhibition 'Hana' (at agnes b.'s LIBRAIRIE GALERIE, Hong Kong) and Watanabe Mayumi Solo Exhibition 'Send in the Clowns' (Librairie Galerie at K11 Art Mall, Hong Kong).

## Personal life

Lam married Yuen Kim Wai, an advertising director, in June 2010. Lam has two daughters, Kaya (b. 2010) and Sofie (b. 2013). Lam and Yuen divorced in 2023.

## Discography

* Karena (1995)
* Unrequited Love (1999)
* Midinight PM 11:30 (2003)
* Dating (2004)

## Filmography
### Films

This is a partial list of films.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2002 | Tiramisu | Jane Chan | |
| 2002 | Inner Senses | Cheung Yan | |
| 2002 | July Rhapsody | Choy-Lam | |
| 2003 | Heroic Duo | Brenda | |
| 2003 | Truth or Dare: 6th Floor Rear Flat | Karena | |
| 2003 | The Floating Landscape | Maan | |
| 2004 | Six Strong Guys | Ding Ding | |
| 2004 | Super Model | Karena | |
| 2004 | Koma | Suen Ling | |
| 2005 | Home Sweet Home | Yim Hung | |
| 2005 | Mob Sister | Nova | |
| 2005 | It Had to Be You! | Jill | |
| 2007 | Anna & Anna | Anna/Siyu | |
| 2007 | Kidnap | Lam Hiu-yeung | |
| 2006 | Silk | Wei | |
| 2008 | Claustrophobia | Pearl | |
| 2008 | Candy Rain | Ricky | |
| 2008 | Fit Lover | Nie Bing | |
| 2008 | Happy Funeral | | Cameo |
| 2010 | Lover's Discourse | Nancy | |
| 2010 | Don Quixote | | |
| 2010 | Let the Wind Carry Me | | |
| 2015 | Dragon Blade | Karena | |
| 2015 | Keeper of Darkness | | |
| 2015 | Zinnia Flower | Min | |
| 2016 | Heaven in the Dark | Michelle Chan | |
| 2017 | The Liquidator | Wei Wei | |
| 2019 | Integrity | Shirley Kong | |
| 2019 | The White Storm 2 - Drug Lords | Fung | |
| 2019 | Declared Legally Dead | Ling | |
| 2021 | American Girl | Wang Li-li (Lily) | |
| 2024 | Daughter's Daughter | Emma | |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2002 | 21st Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | July Rhapsody | Won |
| 2002 | 21st Hong Kong Film Awards | Best New Performer | July Rhapsody | Won |
| 2002 | 39th Golden Horse Awards | Best Supporting Actress | July Rhapsody | Won |
| 2002 | 39th Golden Horse Awards | Best New Performer | July Rhapsody | Won |
| 2003 | Golden Bauhinia Awards | Best Supporting Actress | July Rhapsody | Won |
| 2003 | 22nd Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Actress | Inner Senses | Nominated |
| 2004 | 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Actress | The Floating Landscape | Nominated |
| 2005 | 24th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Actress | Koma | Nominated |
| 2006 | 25th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Actress | Home Sweet Home | Nominated |
| 2006 | 25th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Mob Sister | Nominated |
| 2008 | Ming Pao Anniversary Award | Outstanding Actress in Film | Claustrophobia | Nominated |
| 2008 | 45th Golden Horse Awards | Best Leading Actress | Claustrophobia | Nominated |
| 2009 | 28th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Actress | Claustrophobia | Nominated |
| 2010 | Ming Pao Anniversary Award | Outstanding Actress in Film | Lover's Discourse | Nominated |
| 2015 | 52nd Golden Horse Awards | Best Leading Actress | Zinnia Flower | Won |
| 2016 | 35th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Actress | Heaven in the Dark | Nominated |
| 2021 | 58th Golden Horse Awards | Best Leading Actress | American Girl | Nominated |